Genjo Sanzo
|kanji = 玄奘三蔵 |name = Genjo Sanzo |manga debut = Saiyuki Vol. 01, intro |anime debut = Saiyuki Ep. 01 |japanese voice = Toshihiko Seki (関 俊彦) |english voice = *David Matranga *Lex Lang |race = Human |render = Male |age = 25 |height = 176.5 cm (5'9") |weight = 64 kg (141 lbs.) |hair = Gold Blond |eyes = Violet |birthday = November 29 |blood type = A |occupation = Sanzo priest |status = Alive |relatives = *Rin Toku - Father *Kouran - Mother *Koumyou Sanzo - Guardian *Son Goku - Adoptive son |skills = expert martial artist chanting spells expert marksmen |weapons = Maten Sutra S&W M36 Harissen }}Towa Genjo Sanzo, the 31st of China (玄奘三蔵) is one of the main characters of Saiyuki. A Buddhist priest/monk, he is the one who brought the four together to travel to the west under command of the Three Aspects and the Goddess of Mercy. From his leadership derives the group's common nickname of Sanzo Party ("Sanzo's group" or "Sanzo-ikkou") Personality Sanzo is not very open to anyone, and sees even the most trifling thing as being annoying. He is not overly fond of children or animals, but seems to be fine around Goku and Hakuryuu. He even indulges Lirin either by giving her a treat or letting her hang on his shoulders without much complaint. He is indifferent, short tempered, and a rational thinker; most of the time he won't fight unless absolutely necessary, even if the others are. He is most easily annoyed by Sha Gojyoand Goku's constant bickering. Most of the time, he solves this problem by threatening to punish them or firing his gun at them to get them to shut up. When they're resting, he usually reads the newspaper and drinks a beer or tea. Though the rest of the ikkou are his only friends, he refuses to admit it; he typically describes them as his servants, and is never grateful no matter how many times they rescue him from death. In particular, he hates being pressed to defend his unusual position as a human traveling with youkai companions. Despite his gruff and impersonal attitude, however, he cares deeply for his companions - though he'd loath to acknowledge it - and is quick to defend others in need. He and Goku spend the most time together, owing to the fact that they've known each other for so long. Sanzo often - though grudgingly - takes a parental role in Goku's life and has been responsible for his upbringing. Though he never actually took Buddhist vows and seems to hold all divinities in contempt, he maintains a few monastic habits. He eats very sparingly and his favorite dish continues to be rice steeped in green tea, a typical monk's meal. He refuses to lecture on religious teachings when asked, but often delivers philosophical points with blunt and direct insight when people need advice. The one teaching of his master's that he continues to hold in high regard is muichimotsu, (none, nothing), Ichi (one) Motsu (to hold); so "hold not one (thing)", "hold nothing", a precept that forbids forming any attachments in the material world. He does become aware that he has used muichimotsuas a defense against forming friendships or emotional attachments, for fear of losing them as he did his master, but it is uncertain whether or not this awareness changes his opinion of the teaching. He hates rain, as it reminds him of the rainy night when his master was killed. On rainy nights he never sleeps, and sits up all night smoking and brooding. During prolonged spells of wet weather he refuses to eat and loses so much sleep that it becomes a point of anxiety to all. Appearance Genjyo Sanzo is of relatively average height and athletically wiry, although he's usually enveloped in his very loose white robe. He has bright gold blonde hair kept vaguely short and violet eyes, and is considered to be strikingly attractive. Draped over the shoulders of the robe is a green-bordered scroll covered in Tibetan calligraphy, the Maten Sutra, one of the five Tenshi Kaigen or "Sutras of Heaven and Earth". The sacred sutra's powers protect it from accumulating any signs of damage or wear, despite its being worn in all sorts of weather every day for years. Underneath the robes, he's usually wearing simple blue-jeans and a thin, tight-fitting mock-turtleneck with not sleeves, with black finger-less gloves connecting to slave-rings on each hand. He's got a decent handful of scars, mostly not visible in his normal dress, all of which are fairly old. He originally (in the first manga and anime series) wore black tabi socks and straw sandals on his feet, but later switched to black boots. Background His father was a government official named Rin Tokou. He was a political activist who was exiled to Oujyouin in Rishyu, the northern-most town of Togenkyo. He was 51 years old when he met Sanzo's mother, a woman named Kouran. She was 17 years of age and the daughter of a shop peddlar. Sanzo's real parents abandoned him. He was placed in a basket left floating in a river. Before he could drown he was saved by Koumyou Sanzo. Koumyou named the boy Kouryuu, which means flow of the river, and took him to the Kinzan temple. From that time on he raised the boy like his own son and Kouryuu came to love and respect Koumyou. When Ukoku Sanzo (the second youngest Sanzo to ever achieve the rank of High Priest) visited, Koumyou remarked that Ukoku and Kouryuu "look the same". For reasons still unknown at this point, Koumyou and Kouryuu's lives were put into danger. One night, around the time that Kouryuu was 15 years old, Koumyou called him in to speak with him. He ordained the boy as his successor and gave him a formal Buddhist name. His final words were "Be strong now, Genjo Sanzo." At that moment, a gang of youkai broke into the room demanding Koumyou's two sutras. In an effort to save the boy, Koumyou protected Kouryuu and gave his life. The Seiten Sutra, which he was wearing, was stolen by the killers. (In the present, Sanzo wonders if maybe Ukoku had something to do with Koumyou's death, but nothing so far has been uncovered and Koumyou's death has never been fully explained.) Kouryuu told the temple what he had witnessed and was unjustly accused of killing Koumyou himself, but the truth was proven when he showed the red shakra spot, a mark of divine approval, that had appeared on his brow. He announced his intention to leave the temple at once, find the murderers and retrieve the Seiten Sutra. He was formally appointed the newest Sanzo Priest - the "31st of China" - and given his priestly regalia; charge of the Maten Sutra, his master's second sacred scripture; and a weapon from the temple's armory, the demon-killing shoreijuu or "banishing gun". Little is known of his wanderings for approximately the next four years, except that he was forced to kill many times. Sanzo eventually came to Chang'an, to ask the three aspects for information on the whereabouts of the Seiten Sutra. He received orders to stay in Chang'an, despite wanting to look for the sutra, because his current eyes were "dead", and he was told that "If he saw the sutra with those eyes, he wouldn't even recognize". , Saiyuki Burial Ep 1 part 2 ]]While in Chang'an, Sanzo, beset by horrible nightmares from his past, shut himself away in the temple and prayed. The other monks commented that he did not recite any sutras during this time. One night, restlessly prowling the halls, he met the head priest, Archbishop Jikaku, smoking. Sanzo—who did not approve of smoking at this time—talked with the older man, who jokingly referred to him as a 'demon', because of his golden hair and his habit of appearing only by moonlight. On their second meeting, Jikaku offered his box of cigarettes to the young Sanzo; they were grudgingly accepted. A few nights after that, the temple was attacked by men intending to take Sanzo's life. In order to protect him, Jikaku claimed that he himself was Genjyo Sanzo. Needless to say, the priest died, smoking one of his cigarettes. His final words, almost an exact mirror of what Koumyou told him, enraged Sanzo, who attacked the men and spotted a youkai among them. With his gun in the demon's mouth, he asked whether or not he knew where the missing sutra was. He killed the youkai when he couldn't answer, saying "I'll live enough...for ALL you bastards." After that night, he assumes the position of head of the Keiun temple. His past nightmares disappear and in their place, he began to hear a strange 'voice' calling for him. He is seen smoking a cigarette and staring out at the moon, complaining that the 'old fart' Jikaku didn't leave him a lighter. Some time after this, Sanzo sets out to find the mysterious voice that haunts him. He states that he wants to find the person responsible and silence them. He travels to Mount Gogyou, and learns from the villagers of a legend pertaining to the mountain. Pushing away their advice, he climbs the mountain anyway and finds a sort of prison formed out of the rocks. He sees Son Goku for the first time, and lets him out of the prison. Although he has no intention of looking after him, Sanzo takes the youkai back to the temple and becomes his caretaker. A year later Sanzo receives the mission to "apprehend this felon... Cho Gonou... a young man who was once human." Goku tags along. Sanzo and Goku find Cho Gonou living with Sha Gojyo. When Gojyo resists handing over the fugitive, Cho Gonou makes himself known and tries to make a run for it so that Gojyo doesn't get dragged into it anymore then he already has. Goku Confronts him and Gonou picks up Sanzo's discarded gun. Ep 16]]He claims that he has something left to do and runs off taking Sanzo's gun with him. Sanzo and Goku continues to track him down followed by Gojyo who isn't to willing to let Gonou die so easily. After finding Gonou and a side trip to the site of the remains of the demon lords Hyakugan Mao castle. Sanzo takes Cho Gonou back with him to Chang'an. Cho Gonou is reliquished of his crimes and takes up the new name Cho Hakkai. Cho Hakkai is evenutally hired and Goku's tutor. Three years later Sanzo is sent on another mission to journey west and stop the Minus Wave—a mysterious signal that makes youkai lose their sanity—and to stop the experiments to revile the Demon Ox King Gyumaoh. He is ordered to take Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Cho Hakkai with him by the Merciful Goddess. In Saiyuki Gaiden : See article, Konzen Relationships , Sanzo ward and "Pet"]] Goku '''- Sanzo is most easily annoyed by Goku's constant thoughts about food and his bickering with Gojyo. Before their first meeting, Sanzo hears a strange 'voice' calling him and vows to find this person and shut him up. Climbing Mount Gogyou, the newly-ordained priest Genjyo Sanzo meets Son Goku for the first time, and lets him out of his prison. Although he has no intention of looking after him, Sanzo takes the youkai back to the temple and becomes his caretaker. Though he refuses to admit it, Sanzo does show he cares for Goku even when Goku is in serious danger. When Goku was attacked, Sanzo was so stunned that he froze and could not move or respond, forcing Cho Hakkai to actually slap him to bring him around. Realizing what had happened - probably more than Gojyo and Hakkai - he bolted away to find the perpetrator (later revealed to be Ukoku) and kill him. Though neither Sanzo nor Goku is consciously aware of it, in their previous incarnation they were very close, and this underlies the bond between them in their present lifetime. '''Gojyo - Sanzo really doesn't get along with Gojyo as well as he gets along with the others, if that's what you could call it. Goku only widens the rift by repeating what Sanzo says about Gojyo between the two of them. Example: "You said Gojyo had a brain like a grotto". Ever since they first met on Gojyo's doorsteps when Sanzo was asking about the whereabouts of Cho Gouno (Cho Hakkai) they have gotten on each others nerves. Throughout the years, Sanzo and Gojyo still haven't made peace with each other. When the group was attacked by Kinkaku and his "demon" brother, Gojyo and Sanzo were forced to work together to save Hakkai and Goku. They bickered and argued about how much they hated each other when they are ambushed by some human thugs that Gojyo had beat up earlier. Their arguments continued even through another scuffle with some demons later. Though the two of them fight like monkeys and dogs (Japanese metaphor="like cats and dogs"), Gojyo is extremely loyal and the two of them are friends no matter how much either of them protest that fact. This shows every time the two of them bum lights off each other for cigarettes. Hakkai - Hakkai is the only member of the Sanzo party that Sanzo might actually admit is his friend. The two of them seem to be able to communicate with each other pretty well, though this isn't to say that Sanzo turns into a "chatty-Cathy" when he's with Hakkai. Hakkai just seems to be able to talk Sanzo through some tough points. Sanzo seems to have empathy for Hakkai and vice a versa. When Hakkai was brought before the Three Aspects, Sanzo claimed responsibility for supervising him and Hakkai was hired to tuttor Goku at Keiun temple. Out of all the members of the Sanzo party, Hakkai is the only one that Sanzo doesn't fire at or hit with his fan. And this isn't because Hakkai is the "good child", because he's got a sharp tongue of his own. It might simply be that fact that Hakkai is the only member of the group that can drive and cook. Could Sanzo be showing favoritism? Weapons Sanzo has two main weapons that he uses periodically; those being his Maten Sutra and the gun he's carried with him since he first became a Sanzo priest. He hardly ever fights without his gun and the Sutra on his shoulders, and is seen as a very formidable foe when forced to fight. {C} Banishing Gun : see main article : S&W-M10 Maten Sutra Translated as the 'scripture of darkness' it is the Sutra that Genjyo Sanzo carries. All Sanzo are required to protect one of the five Sutras. Most of the time, it sits on Sanzo's shoulders, and it is mentioned in passing. Kougaiji has tried many times to take the Sutra but has failed. It has been said that with the five Sutras collected, Gyumaoh can be resurrected. In order to use the scripture he must recite a mantra, ending in the command Makai Tenjo, at which point, the scripture is activated. The only time Sanzo really uses the Sutra is when he can't use his gun or Goku's diadem has been broken/removed. He is the only non-divine character so far to be able to reconstruct Goku's diadem. He is also somewhat of a match to the Sage, as seen when he fights him in the anime. It is speculated this is due to him retaining some of his godlike power from his previous incarnation as Konzen Doji. Trivia *A running gag in the series is characters' reference to Sanzo as an old man due to his habit of going to bed early and wearing glasses to read the newspaper. He is easily annoyed by this, especially when Gojyo calls him that. *So far, Sanzo is always second when it comes to card games. The first being Hakkai and third and fourth belonging to Gojyo and Goku respectively. *Sanzo has been referred to as "Droopy eyes" and "Baldy" (mostly by Gojyo and Lirin). "Baldy" is a common insult to monks, who typically shave their heads (another way in which Sanzo is far from being a typical monk). "Namagusa bouzo", stinking monk, is another typical insult of Gojyo's; this specifically refers to a monk who breaks his vows, such as not eating meat, which makes one's breath smell bad. *The story of his origin is quite similar to the original version (Chinese Novel - Journey to the West) where Ukoku (Saiyuki Reload) stated that his father has government position but was killed. *His preferred cigarette brand is filtered Marlboro Reds, as seen in Saiyuki manga vol. 9. He buys disposable lighters, rather than owning a refillable one like Gojyo's, possibly an expression of muichimotsu. *Sanzo's addiction for mayonaise is too much, he even places it on his ramen. He is also partial to red pickled ginger. *Sanzo's voice actor is Toshihiko Seki while in English it is David Matranga. In Reload and Reload Gunlock his English actor was Lex Lang. In the OVA series he is instead voiced by Wataru Takagi. Category:Main Characters Category:Characters